Wednesday, October 26, 2016

“You can’t be a climate leader and build pipelines.” In a moment of role reversal, that’s the
message students will be delivering to teacher-turned-Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau when they descend on Parliament Hill next week. In advance of a decision on Kinder Morgan’s
Trans Mountain pipeline (see: “Expect a Kinder Morgan Surprise from Trudeau’s Liberals,” Bill Tieleman, the Tyee, September 6, 2016), students from across Canada will be educating the
Liberal government that the voice of millennials – along with their votes –
shouldn’t be taken for granted (see: “Students to Trudeau: Climate leaders don’t approve pipelines,” Derrick O’Keefe, ricochet, September 21, 2016).

It’s been a dizzying month with climate-related headlines
dominating the national newsmedia. Canadians have been inundated with talk of
targets, taxes and treaties. Elected
officials and political pundits have offered opinions, spin, and in some cases,
thoughtful analysis of proposed initiatives and government flip-flops. The picture that’s starting to emerge is
problematic. Despite the government’s
lofty rhetoric about “real change”, meaningful measures to slow the climate
crisis are being offset by decisions that take us in the opposite direction –
one where continuing conflict can be expected.

A small, but important step forward, was Trudeau’s announcement
of a plan to compel the provinces to put a price on carbon pollution, or have
the feds impose a carbon tax (see: “Trudeau says Canada to implement carbon tax,” the Associated Press, October 3, 2016). However,
the fed’s price – just $10 per tonne starting in 2018 - is woefully inadequate,
and will not lead to any changes in consumer behaviour (see: "Don't fixate on carbon pricing: Mark Jaccard (updated)," Vancouver Business, September 21, 2016).

And here’s where the problems really start. Bolstered by polls and blackmailed by
friendly premiers, Trudeau might be thinking that his bare minimum approach to
the climate crisis is social license enough to kickstart tar sands-expanding
pipeline projects. Of course, it all
flies in the face of the best available science which clearly indicates that if
we’re going to meet our Paris commitments, we’re going to have to leave dirty
fossil fuels in the ground (see: “The Sky’s Limit: Why the Paris Climate Goals Require a Managed Decline of Fossil Fuel Production,” Oil Change International, September 22, 2016).

That’s why you can’t be a climate leader and build
pipelines. Trudeau’s final test of leadership may come as early as December. If Trudeau approves Trans Mountain, he will shred
the last little bit of credibility the Liberals have left on the climate
file.

(opinions expressed in this blogpost are my own and should not be considered consistent with the policies and/or positions of the Green Parties of Canada and Ontario)